When the Ocean Brushes the Shore
by ThickerThanLove
Summary: My first Rainbowbrite Romance. Find out what happens when Patty learns the importance of being independent and learning when to lean on another....R&R Please


When the Ocean Brushes the Shore

When the Ocean Brushes the Shore

Patty O'Green heard her alarm blare and did the same thing she did every morning.

She shut it off, opened her nightstand's drawer and threw it in.

That accomplished, she closed her eyes again and slept. She'd had troubling falling asleep last night so she was tired and felt exhausted. Lately, her work was never on her mind which was to say the least, highly unusual. In fact, her best friend, Rainbow had even gone so far to ask if she was sick. Patty had denied it of course, as she felt fine physically. It was the mental department that she was lacking.

Buddy Blue.

He was always on her mind. She even woke up early sometimes to see him change the sky from dawn to the crystal blue of clear atmosphere. She loved to watch him do it, the way the colors filtered slowly, creating a more dramatic change. Once or twice, she was tempted to go comment on his work but Patty, the tomboy kid, the one who never turned down a dare, could not muster up the courage to go talk to the only boy she had ever liked.

* * *

The Color Kids sat down and started to raid the food. Rainbow was the first who noted. She swallowed and laughed. 

"Seems we're missing someone."

Everyone looked and sure enough, Patty's chair was empty. Red looked about ready to blow a fuse but luckily Buddy caught on fast. 

"Chill, Red. I'll get her. If I know you, you'll wake half of earth up with her."

The Leader of the Color Kids bit down his remark and instead found himself blushing a brighter red than his own Star Sprinkles as La La planted a fat kiss on his left cheek.

He shoved her away, although gently. 

"La La! Stop that!"

* * *

Buddy opened Patty's door, gently. He loved to be able to watch her a moment or two before he woke her. Sure enough, there she was, still in bed. He walked over to her bed, his feet soft. 

The girl's hair was still in its trademark braids, although the strands of her locks were a bit tousled. She had her mouth half open and was breathing heavily, peacefully. He smiled and traced her cheek with his finger. She in response rolled over and buried her face in her pillow. Buddy leaned over, until his mouth was directly by her ear.

"Why am I talking like this, Patty O'Green?"

"Cause you wanna be Ear-itable." She muttered in response.

He laughed and watched her sit up. Her eyes were blurry. She shook her head and rubbed her eyes, trying to clear away the confusion. Buddy pulled her up until she was standing. She in response groaned.

"I'm late again, huh?"

He nodded. "Yeah but if ya hurry maybe Red won't jump down your throat."

She shrugged, "Fat chance. Thanks for waking me, I think."

He smiled and left, saying,

"No problem. Let's go. We've-"

"Don't." she hissed. "Don't say it."

He chuckled. "You are not a morning person."

She smiled and said with a twinkle in her eye to let him know she was kidding,

"Your grasp of the obvious is incredible."

He sent her a salute.

"I shall see you at the Cave, my lady."

Patty rolled her eyes but smiled. She loved when he did that. Whoever said Red was the romantic had obviously never been exposed to Buddy Blue.

* * *

Patty took a handful of Color Crystal and dropped it in the cart. Lucky smiled.

~I'll be back.~ Then her sprite was gone toward the entrance. Patty picked her tool back up. She had decided to mine today, mainly to keep out of Red's view. He couldn't get on her case for doing this.

She went on like that a time. She did the digging, Lucky did the carting. It worked for a time. Red was busy in the Color Castle and kept out of her hair. But then, disaster was a common traveler with Patty. So it was bound to happen. 

Patty walked past Lucky. Her voice was tired but she said,

"I'll be back in about an hour, Lucky. I need a little break."

Her sprite nodded, a small smile appearing.

~Go! I can handle this.~

The girl smiled and nodded. She walked down the path back towards the castle. Her first thought was to grab a snack. But on her way, she noted Red's roses. They seemed dull maybe she would tell Red when she saw him. But then her own creations, the green stems caught her eye. They were a dull shade, a lighter tint than she liked.

She frowned and her forehead wrinkled up. If she had a pet peeve it was she hated it when her colors dulled. She slipped over and knelt down. She gently brushed the stems, concentrating. Gradually, her power began to alter the color. It darkened and then grew until it was radiant shade. She was about to add a tad more when-

"PATTY!"

She was stunned, lost her concentration, and slipped. Her finger sliced open on one of the thorns and a faint green slipped into the petals. Patty rose and turned around. Red was standing there looking about as miffed as she had ever seen him. He stormed over to her and knelt to his flowers. After fixing the color he whirled back to Patty.

"What were you doing? Roses are mine!"

"But I wasn't even messing with the ros-"

"Not messing my foot. That petal was green! Green! Roses are my specialty, Patty O'Green!"

Patty was struggling to keep her temper. "I know that! The stems are my color. I also meant to say you might wanna add some red-"

"What do you know?"

"I'm a Color Kid!"

"Of Green! Green Patty! Red is different. And in my opinion…better!"

Patty's short fuse finally snapped. "What the heck does that mean?!"

"Exactly that. My color stands out on its own. Blood is the complete color…red. Granted the rest if white but the only other color in it is red. And my roses are majorily red. Your face is turning red."

"My color has its importance."

Red smiled. He liked agitating Patty. "It's a dependent color, Patty. What are your leaves without my flower? What is the grass without my ladybugs to eat the aphids, green aphids that destroy plants. You're dependent Patty."

Patty sight blurred with first anger, then tears. She blinked.

Red was shocked. Had he hurt her? He'd meant to agitate her but now he saw tears in her eyes. She stared at him a moment and then ran. She ran until she reached the rainbow. Stepping inside her own strip of color she ran up and out of RainbowLand.

Red watched her go. 

Then, an acidic voice said,

"Smooth, Red. Really Smooth."

The red color kid turned, stunned by the sharpness in the voice.

Buddy Blue glared back at him, his face twisted in a scowl and his eyes colder than ice. He uncrossed his arms, stormed over to Red and hissed,

"Sometimes, you need to learn to listen shut your trap!"

Red was stunned. Buddy was normally so polite and quiet. None of the Color Kids had ever known him to snap at anyone. But that was exactly what he was doing. His eyes alone said that. 

Buddy shook his head, gave Red one last poisonous glare and took after the green haired girl.

* * *

Patty gazed outward, at the sea. The sea was the only place on earth when she found serenity. She was fiercely independent girl. Red's words stung. They still stung. Was her color so dependent? Did she not have her own self in it? Her own self-sufficiency?

She fought her tears and let the waves wash over her bare feet. 

Then, strong hands gently were placed on her shoulders. She turned and Buddy Blue gave her a small smile.

"Red wasn't serious Patty. He was trying to agitate you."

"But…he's right!"

Buddy rolled his eyes. "No, he's not. Think about it Patty. Granted, his flowers bring bees and such to pollinate but what is it that takes the nourishment in?"

"The…" she paused, stunned by what she discovered, "It's the leaves. The green leaves make the food."

Buddy smiled. He wasn't shy now. He didn't know why but he wasn't.

"And tell me, what is it that attracts the aphids for the ladybugs to eat?"

Patty beamed, her self-confidence returning. "The grass. The green grass."

Buddy let her think that over a moment before saying,

"There's another thing too, Patty." He took her hand. "Come with me."

She was curious and stunned by Buddy's lack of shyness. So she smiled and followed. The blue child led her over the sand dunes of the beach, back where she felt the air grown damp. Buddy smiled brightly and pulled her through and into a marsh. 

It was teeming with life.

Grasses were heavy with small foods and were being eaten by small animals. Patty sat down, Buddy by her.

"Patty, in a way we're all independent but we're also dependent on each other. Look," he pointed at the marsh, at the grasses.

"The sea flows in and feeds the plants. In turn, the plants bloom. So there is food for animals to eat. Sea turtles lay there eggs here because food is plentiful and it's safe here." He smiled, fighting not to blush. "But only here. When the ocean brushes the shore."

Patty caught on. It was plentiful because blue touched green. Because colors leaned on each other, each giving and receiving back the same amount. They were allies, in the same game of survival. The ocean gave the plants life so the plants gave the ocean animals. Life for life.

Patty looked at Buddy, eyes beaming.

"Buddy. Thanks. You never seem to be this way."

He blushed, all shyness returning. "I don't want to see you unhappy."

Patty fought the lump in her throat. He cared. He truly did care. Not just as a friend, she could tell by the way his cheeks flushed deep red. She took his hands, her heart alive in her chest. Buddy looked at her, startled by her sudden closeness. 

She stared at him a moment, startled herself.

"Buddy, I…'

He silenced her. He gently took his cheek in his hand and slowly drew her face closer to his. Patty felt lighter than air. Bliss, she was truly in bliss. Her lips gently closed over Buddy's. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed harder; craving this emotion she had kept sealed so long. 

Both were on the ground in the muck as the tide gently rolled in.

Patty just let her lips rest on Buddy's, let her emotion cool. He kissed her back again.

And once again, but in more ways than one, the ocean brushed the shore.


End file.
